To Boldly Go

Joshua Budich

Joshua Budich is an independent illustrator working for numerous galleries, including Gallery 1988, Spoke Art and Hero Complex Gallery, movie studios, and media outlets around the globe. Inspired by a love for the pop culture of his youth, his primary focus is on screenprints that celebrate popular movies (Star Trek, Star Wars, The Big Lebowski), television series (Lost, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), animated shows (The Simpsons, My Neighbor Totoro, Akira) and more.

Budich graduated from the University of Maryland Baltimore County with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Imaging and Digital Arts) in 2000. He enjoys cooking with his wife, drawing with his son and reading to his little girl.

He lives in the Baltimore/District of Columbia area with his wife and their two children.

How do you describe the piece?

My piece is an homage to the original Star Trek series. My first steps were to gather inspirational assets and design the overall composition with quick sketches. The next steps were inking and then digitally coloring the final keylines.

What was your inspiration?

My inspiration was first and foremost the amazing relationships between the main characters. I wanted to tell a story with a visual narrative between the characters, and the epic journey they’re on together.

Tell us about your Star Trek fandom.

I’m a fan of The Original Series, as well as The Next Generation. My favorite character has to be Spock, followed closely by Kirk. The iconic bond of friendship they share has always been an inspiration to me.

What excited you most about the opportunity to get involved in the Star Trek: 50 Artists. 50 Years. project?

To pay homage to the immortal Leonard Nimoy was super-exciting. I’m honored to have been part of this project.

How is your Star Trek artwork similar too or different from to your other works?

Most of my work deals very closely with this type of narrative, character-driven pop-culture illustration.